The present invention relates to a connector, particularly to a connector having a plurality of contacts and a shell.
In recent years, portable electronic devices have been widely used. Such electronic devices are made thinner and required to have an excellent waterproof function. Accordingly, connectors for use in electronic devices are also required to be thin and have waterproof properties.
In addition, to prevent transmitted electric signals from being affected by electromagnetic waves from outside, the development of connectors shielded against electromagnetic waves is in progress.
Such a connector having both waterproof properties and electromagnetic wave shielding properties is disclosed in, for instance, JP 5433776 B. This connector has the configuration in which a housing 1 made of an insulating material is molded integrally with a cylindrical shell 2 made of metal and contacts 3 for use in establishing conductive connection, as shown in FIG. 17. A counter connector accommodating portion 4 for accommodating a counter connector is formed in the shell 2, and each of the contacts 3 is formed at its one end with a contact section 3A exposed in the counter connector accommodating portion 4 to come into contact with a contact of the counter connector and at its other end with a board connecting section 3B projecting from the back part of the housing 1 to be connected to a board 5 of an electronic device.
An opening 7 is formed in a casing 6 of the electronic device, and a gasket 8 is disposed along the periphery of the opening 7 to seal between an inner surface of the casing 6 and the front surface of the housing 1 of the connector.
Covering the contact sections 3A of the contacts 3 by the shell 2 brings about a shielding effect against electromagnetic waves, while molding the housing 1 integrally with the shell 2 and the contacts 3 and disposing the gasket 8 between the inner surface of the casing 6 and the front surface of the housing 1 result in preventing water from entering through the counter connector accommodating portion 4 to the inside of the electronic device where the board 5 lies.
However, there has been a problem that since the housing 1 made of an insulating material is molded so as to cover the periphery of the shell 2, the overall size of the connector, particularly, the thickness of the connector becomes large.
In addition, in an attempt to miniaturize the connector having a large number of contacts, reduction of each of the contacts in size and reduction in the arrangement pitch of the contacts are required, and it may cause deformation or misalignment of the contacts due to injection pressure of a molten resin in molding the housing.